Gerrit Cole DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) said that he's on track to start throwing in August after speaking on Monday for the first time since undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery. In addition to having TJ surgery, the 34-year-old veteran and former Cy Young winner had an internal-brace procedure done to fix the UCL in his right elbow. There is no target date in mind for Cole to pitch next season, and we probably won't have a better idea of that until he resumes throwing off the mound, which might not come at all this year. The six-time All-Star won the American League Cy Young award in 2023 but then only made it through 17 starts (95 innings) for the Yankees last year, going 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 99:29 K:BB. There's no guarantee that Cole will be ready for the start of the 2026 season, which will put a cloud over his fantasy value.

MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reports that New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole's (elbow) UCL surgery included internal bracing, according to the team, which can reduce inflammation and speed up the recovery time. It means that Cole is closer to a 12-month recovery than if he had the traditional Tommy John surgery. Cole will still miss the entire 2025 season, but the internal-brace procedure means that he could have a chance to be ready right around the start of the 2026 season, depending on how he fares during his rehab. Fantasy managers that already drafted the 34-year-old former American League Cy Young winner in single-year leagues can dump him now that he's officially out for the year. The Yankees are also going to be without starter Luis Gil (lat) to begin the year, which means that both veteran Marcus Stroman and pitching prospect Will Warren figure to open the year in the starting rotation.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) is set to undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn right ulnar collateral ligament. He will miss the entire 2025 season. The 34-year-old underwent testing on his right elbow over the weekend. He went for a second opinion earlier on Monday. In addition to missing the entire 2025 campaign, the 34-year-old could also be in danger of missing a significant portion of the 2026 season as well. Last season, Cole missed time due to elbow inflammation but was able to log 95 innings with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He tallied 99 punchouts and held a 7.4 percent walk rate. He generated a modest 3.61 xERA with a .226 xBA. In addition to Cole, right-handed pitcher Luis Gil (lat) is set to miss at least three months of action. This will open the door for Marcus Stroman to have a permanent spot in the rotation and potentially prospect Will Warren to open the season as the No. 5 option.